Judas Priest Bassist Ian Hill Announces Retirement
Judas Priest bassist Ian Hill has been the band’s backbone since he joined in 1970. Now, he’s passing the torch. Hill announced his retirement and his replacement in a heartfelt message shared on the band’s Facebook page.
“Hello everyone, for a long time now, when asked, ‘how long can you continue? ‘- I’ve always answered, ‘until my performances suffer’…. I hate to say it, but that time has come,” he wrote.
HHill has been dealing with advanced arthritis in his left shoulder and right hand, with the condition also affecting his right shoulder and both knees. He’s been treating the pain with medication, gels, and cortisone injections in his shoulder and hand.
The news comes weeks after Hill had to sit out of a performance at the Eventim Apollo in London on September 21st. Remarkably, it was the first time he had to miss a show in the 56 years since he joined.
“Although, I was able to put bass lines to the songs for the new album, there were questions whether I’d be able to complete the recent European tour without incident, so we asked our good friend Davey Rimmer from Uriah Heep, and of course Elegant Weapons, to learn the set list to stand in for me if I had to pull out, which I did for the London show,” Hill continued. “This was due to me snapping a tendon in my left shoulder (as if I didn’t have enough problems with it!) just before the encores during the Brussels show two days before. This led to me not being able to lift my arm enough to reach the neck of my bass. So we had to call Davey to stand in for me, who put in an incredible performance at such short notice!”
Hill says he may not need surgery, but even if he doesn’t, there’s no guarantee he’ll have the strength in his arm to perform a whole show.
“In view of all this, and the fact that I’ve neglected my family life for fifty seven years, I’ve decided to retire and spend the remaining years making up for it, and doing things with them before it involves one of ‘em pushing me around in a wheelchair,” he wrote.
Hill added that Rimmer will be taking his place in the band, calling him a “great bassist, and a genuinely nice bloke who’ll fit the job perfectly.” He concluded by sharing his gratitude.
“There’s not a day goes by where I don’t give thanks for the incredible journey I’ve lived through, and it just remains for me to say that I love you all, and thank you for the life you’ve let me live,” Hill said.
Judas Priest doesn’t have any gigs lined up until June 2027 in Oslo, Norway.
We’re wishing Ian Hill the best in his retirement and thanking him for decades of music.
In his time with No Treble, Kevin has met hundreds of amazing bassists and interviewed icons like Jack Casady, Victor Wooten, Les Claypool, Marcus Miller, and more. He's a gigging bassist performing jazz in Northern Virginia and bluegrass with The Plate Scrapers up and down the East Coast. Kevin appreciates all genres of music, from R&B to metal and everything in between. Connect with Kevin on Facebook and check his performance schedule on his website.
